Former N.J. Department of Corrections official indicted on bribery, attempted extortion charges

Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-LedgerDepartment of Corrections Assistant Commissioner Lydell Sherrer in this 2009 file photo. Sherrer has been suspended without pay today, two days after he was arrested on bribery charges.

TRENTON — The case against a former high-ranking Department of Corrections official widened today with the announcement of a 12-count federal indictment outlining charges of bribery and attempted extortion.

In return for cash, the official, Lydell Sherrer, 51, of Neptune offered jobs, transfers and even help with a lawsuit against his own department, federal authorities said.

The indictment, which includes snippets from conversations recorded by federal investigators, said Sherrer was collecting bribes from more corrections employees than previously thought.

At one point last year, the indictment said, Sherrer asked an employee about a promotion. Then he wrote "10,000" on a post-it note and said "this was how things are done," according to the indictment.

Although the employee didn’t pay up, others allegedly did, the indictment said, though not always in cash, It described how one employee angling for a different job within the department gave Sherrer a credit card number so he could pay $7,000 for a relative’s university tuition.

In total, federal authorities said that last year Sherrer sought $52,500 from five current and former employees and received $19,000.

"The indictment alleges that Sherrer’s conduct was even more pervasive than originally charged," U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said in a statement. "Public sector jobs should not be for sale."

The 12-count indictment includes six counts of attempted extortion and six counts of bribery. An arraignment on the new charges has not yet been scheduled.

Attempted extortion carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while bribery has a maximum sentence of 10 years. Federal authorities also want Sherrer to forfeit the $19,000 in bribes he allegedly collected.

Sherrer was arrested on Oct. 12, 2010, in Princeton shortly after allegedly taking $2,000 cash from the employee seeking help with a lawsuit. He is free on $100,000 bail.

Two days after his arrest, Sherrer was removed from his $86,500-a-year position as assistant commissioner.

Sherrer’s public defender did not respond to a request for comment yesterday. Corrections Commissioner Gary Lanigan also declined to comment.

Today’s indictment outlines a series of shady deals that Sherrer allegedly used to boost his paycheck.

Sherrer was the deputy commissioner at the Department of Corrections in charge of prison operations until being demoted to assistant commissioner last year. After his demotion he was still one of the highest-ranking officials in the department, overseeing community programs run by nonprofit organizations and private companies.

So when one corrections employee faced a layoff last year, Sherrer offered to help the employee find a job with state contractors running halfway homes or treatment programs, according to the indictment. He asked for $10,000, and according to the indictment the employee gave $5,000 in cash for starters.

A representative from one contractor later called the employee, but the job didn’t materialize, according to the indictment.

"We discussed me getting a position based on quid pro quo, right?" the employee said in a phone call. Sherrer replied, "Yes," according to the indictment.